RELATED

Morgantown Communications Manager Andrew Stacy explained the settlement does not include any type of cash payment.

Essentially, it amends the non-exclusive franchise agreement the parties executed in April 2017.

“Going forward, ClearFiber will be able to place overhead lines in public rights-of-way, but will not be able to place any poles or other structures,” Stacy explained.

The settlement also describes the application process ClearFiber must complete prior to working in the public right-of-way, and lays out a change in franchise fees — from 5% of gross revenues to 25 cents per linear foot of cable placed in the public right-of-way.

Morgantown City Council approved the settlement terms earlier this week.

In July, a lawsuit filed against ClearFiber by the Morgantown Utility Board ended in a default judgment for MUB after the business failed to respond.

MUB was granted $27,795.70 for damages that the utility claimed were caused by ClearFiber at “various locations” between June 2017 and October 2018.

With many educational organizations shifting their entire schedules to distance learning tools or full virtual environments indefinitely, never has the statement “we are all in this together” been more poignant.